St. Martin-in-the-Fields: Pet blessing, food drive held

Taken from the Oct. 11 Dispatch

Nearly
a dozen dogs and one cat attended a pet blessing Saturday at St.
Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church on Baseline Road.

Gathering
the participants together for a photo opportunity at the event was "like
herding cats," said Rev. Earle King of St. Martin's. "No offense."

None
was taken. The ceremony provided food for the soul as well as raised donations
to feed pets of residents in homeless shelters. Paula Macrides of St.
Martin-in-the-Fields said money and food donated at St. Martin's Saturday goes
to Fishers Friends, a doggy day care that supports the efforts of Pets of the
Homeless, a national organization that makes meals for animals whose masters
are living on the street. "Because in the past, what was happening is people
were sharing their own food with their companions," Macrides explained.

This
was the third year for the food drive at St. Martin's.

King
is pictured blessing Buster. The blessing took place a day after the feast of
St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.

"Lots
of churches do pet blessings on the weekend closest to the feast of St.
Francis," King said.